Groups and Teams

Module 2 – Background Reading

MANAGING GROUPS AND TEAMS

Required Sources

Force Field Analysis

The Force Field Analysis model is one that has been widely used to address challenges in communicating with others, leading teams and managing conflicts. Its goal is to move opposing groups or individuals toward more effective cooperation. As its name suggests, this model analyzes the factors (or forces) that influence situations in which people are having trouble working together. By increasing the driving forces for more effective communication and cooperation and weakening the restraining forces against open communications and cooperation, one can create a working situation that is more collaborative and productive.

For a brief summary of the Force Field Analysis model, see:

Tutor2u. (2016, April 22). Lewin’s force field analysis model [Video file]. Retrieved from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9ujAtYAfqU

Communication

We begin this module by building a foundation of knowledge about interpersonal communication. After all, communication is needed for effective group activities. In gaining this foundation, we will refer to Wikipedia for a “quick and dirty” overview of the topic. (Caution: Wikipedia is an unacceptable source for academic papers because it is a publicly edited site with information that can be incomplete, biased, or incorrect. However, to get a quick introduction to a topic, it can be a good place to start.)

Models of communication. (2016) Wikipedia.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_of_communication

Never discount the value of trust in strengthening communication and improving work relationships. One way to build trust is to maximize what we know about ourselves and wish to share with others. Conversely, we want to minimize aspects of ourselves we are not aware of but are readily apparent to others (our "blind spots"). This is accomplished through a combination of self-disclosure and feedback.

The Johari Window is an excellent model for improving communication effectiveness and therefore trust. Created in the 1950s by two guys named Joe and Harry (no kidding!), this model is still widely used in organizations to improve communication between coworkers, bosses, subordinates, and teams. Watch the following videos:

Leader Logic. (2018, February 5). Johari Window example in 5 minutes [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TUTc3h01oA

Leader Logic. (2018, February 8). Johari Window for project scope development [Video file]. Retrieved from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCw1wcSJ5V8

Then read:

Apricot Training Management Limited: Self Awareness. (2013) Understanding the Johari Window. Retrieved from  http://www.selfawareness.org.uk/news/understanding-the-johari-window-model

Groups and Teams

The structure of modern organizations is continually changing and work is being done in teams more than ever. But teams are more than just a collection of individuals working on a single project. Team workers need a set of skills that exceeds those of individual workers to allow them to collaborate effectively. Often, employers do not train employees in these skills so it is a rare thing when teams live up to their potential. This is particularly true of teams in the United States, where the culture highly values  individual  effort and accomplishment.

In this part of the module, we will increase our ability to manage teams by learning what constitutes a team, how to handle conflict, and how to build a high-performing team. To get an overview of this topic, view this PowerPoint presentation on  Group Dynamics and Conflict .

The Tuckman model of group development is one of the most widely used tools to understand the dynamics of team formation and development.

The following reading offers a concise explanation of this model and as a bonus, relates group development processes to the Johari Window (above) and the Situational Leadership model to be presented in Module 3:

Chapman, A. (2016). Bruce Tuckman’s 1965 Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing team-development model. Retrieved from  http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm

Most of us think about trust in teams as growing over time and with experience being with another team member. However, swift trust stems from an initial assumption of trust which is confirmed, or disconfirmed, over time. In this sense it is conditional and must be verified by the actions of team members. Read this blog about the factors that contribute to swift trust and how leaders can create it:

Swift trust—why some teams don’t storm (2011). In Management Pocketbooks. Retrieved from  https://managementpocketbooks.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/swift-trustwhy-some-teams-dont-storm/

Here is an interesting example of organizational theory being used to solve practical business problems. This report is designed to help its analysts avoid group decision-making biases such as groupthink, polarization or "risky shift," overconfidence, or composition bias. The practical application of theory demonstrated in this source may be helpful to you in preparing your case.

Mottola, G. & Utkus, S. (2009) Group decision-making: Implications for investment committees. Vanguard Investment Counseling and Research. This article can be found at  http://agb.org/sites/agb.org/files/u16/Vanguard%206.pdf

Conflict Management

When working with groups, conflict is inevitable. Although conflict is often viewed as negative, this is not always true. As we learned in the earlier PowerPoint presentation, well-managed conflict can increase team performance and result in better output. One trick is to learn the differences between healthy and destructive types of conflict. Read the following for more information:

Issues Teams Face: Managing Conflict (n.d.) Retrieved from  http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/54195_Chapter_7.pdf

Now that you can recognize the difference between good and bad conflict, take a few minutes to read about some techniques that can help you manage conflict between people at work (or even at home!) and keep situations from spiraling out of control:

Help Guide (n.d.). Conflict Resolution Skills. Retrieved from  https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/conflict-resolution-skills.htm